Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel de Possac, located at 18 rue de l'Horloge in Nîmes, is an emblematic 17th-century civil building. It is distinguished by its facade adorned with a large entrance door surmounted by a rinceaux frieze and a larmal cornice decorated with lion masks. The interior courtyard houses a staircase whose wrought iron ramp, made by Estienne Chauvin, has been listed as historical monuments since 1964 for its remarkable volutes and plant motifs.

The hotel has known several influential owners, including the Scatisse families (Italian notables), Montcalm de Saint-Véran (early 16th century), Genas, Possac and Lauret. In 1673 Isaac de Possac became its owner, and his family retained it until 1920-1921. The building, entirely rebuilt in the 17th century, reflects the Nîmes civil architecture of the period, with baluster galleries and arches full of arches illuminating the floors.

Originally, the site housed in the sixteenth century the house of the judge-mage of Nîmes (1514-1544). The renovation of the 17th century transformed the building into a characteristic mansion, combining classical elegance and local craftsmanship. The staircase ramp, composed of uniform panels with rolled and daisy volutes, illustrates the know-how of the Nîmes blacksmiths, such as Estienne Chauvin, whose name remains associated with this work.

Listed for its staircase, the Hotel de Possac bears witness to the social history of Nîmes, passing from the hands of magistrates to those of aristocratic or bourgeois families. Its architecture, combining carved decorations and ironwork, makes it a representative example of the Languedoc private hotels of the modern era.

External links